Wendy Pearlman, "The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora" (Liveright, 2024)
Dec 10, 2024
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Wendy Pearlman, a political science professor at Northwestern University, explores the emotional landscapes of Syrian refugees in her new book. She shares gripping stories reflecting on what 'home' means after war and displacement. The discussion reveals how narratives of resilience underscore the importance of belonging amidst chaos. Listeners learn about personal choices surrounding the longing for home and the complex identities formed in new lands. Pearlman’s insights invite us to rethink our own definitions of home in a world marked by conflict.
The narratives of Syrian refugees illustrate that home is a complex blend of emotional ties and memories shaped by loss and displacement.
Despite facing challenges like bureaucracy and cultural adjustments, many refugees show resilience by developing new identities and support networks in their new environments.
Deep dives
Understanding Home Through Displacement
The concept of home emerges as a central theme in narratives of those affected by the Syrian conflict. Many individuals articulate their understanding of home as shaped by experiences of loss and disruption, reflecting on how displacement has altered their sense of belonging. Stories reveal that home is not just a physical location, but also encompasses emotional ties, memories, and relationships that are deeply ingrained in a person's identity. Participants express a desire to find stability and security, leading to profound reflections on what home means to them amid the turmoil.
The Journey of Seeking Stability
The experiences of refugees typically involve complex journeys across multiple countries, often filled with uncertainty and struggle. Accounts of individuals illustrate that the process of seeking a new home includes navigating bureaucracies, language barriers, and cultural adjustments, which can hinder the feeling of belonging. For example, some refugees find themselves in limbo, unsure of their legal status and future, while others encounter hostility or indifference from local communities. Despite these challenges, many cultivate friendships and support networks that help foster a sense of belonging in their new environments.
Complex Emotions Surrounding Loss
The theme of losing home resonates deeply as individuals recount the painful separation from their original homes in Syria. This loss extends beyond the physical destruction of their living spaces to encompass the grief for relationships and familiar environments that are now irretrievable. Many express feelings of emptiness and nostalgia, illustrative of an existential crisis resulting from forced migration. Accounts are laden with narratives of survivor's guilt, emphasizing the emotional toll of navigating a future while grappling with the memories of what has been irrevocably lost.
Building New Identities in Exile
As refugees settle into new lives, many demonstrate resilience and tenacity in reconstructing their identities away from home. Stories depict significant transformations, with individuals acquiring new skills, pursuing education, and striving to contribute meaningfully to their communities. Successes, such as professional achievements or personal milestones, signal the potential for growth and fulfillment even amidst adversity. Yet, the journeys reflect the nuanced reality of balancing nostalgia for the past with the necessity of adapting to new circumstances, illustrating the dynamic nature of identity in the wake of displacement.
War forced millions of Syrians from their homes. It also forced them to rethink the meaning of home itself.
In 2011, Syrians took to the streets demanding freedom. Brutal government repression transformed peaceful protests into one of the most devastating conflicts of our times, killing hundreds of thousands and displacing millions.
The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora (Liveright, 2024) takes Syria’s refugee outflow as its point of departure. Based on hundreds of interviews conducted across more than a decade, it probes a question as intimate as it is universal: What is home? With gripping immediacy, Syrians now on five continents share stories of leaving, losing, searching, and finding (or not finding) home. Across this tapestry of voices, a new understanding emerges: home, for those without the privilege of taking it for granted, is both struggle and achievement. Recasting “refugee crises” as acts of diaspora-making, The Home I Worked to Make challenges readers to grapple with the hard-won wisdom of those who survive war and to see, with fresh eyes, what home means in their own lives.
Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Twitter and IG: @robbyref Website: www.robertomazza.org